[1] I think you nailed it with "in my opinion". Elvis was fresh and something unknown to white America at the time he busted away from Sam Phillips and those good people at Sun Records. His "That's all Right" and "I Got A Woman" blew buy anything a male white artist was doing at or around that time in terms of style and sound "in my opinion" and I have to say that includes my own guy Buddy Holly's stuff that came along a bit later. No doubt about it Elvis became king because of his skin color and the Colonel's mendacity: that doesn't mean what he did wasn't amazingly different, worthwhile and a producer of real and important art in it's own right. More than skin color is needed to explain Elvis's art; it may however explain his rise to recording industry "kingship".
What struck me was the difference in the lyrics. Does Big Mama's version really end the way I think it does? If so, then the song makes a lot more sense to me, after all these years.
Elvis' uptempo version was ideal for the era where a dance craze was emerging. He was groundbreaking.
Soulful Big Mama Thronton's voice juxtaposed the bluesy guitar riffs in a way that made the rendition come across as loftier. I agree with ColoYank. The song makes a whole lot sense coming from her and her lyrics.
4. Yes, it does make more sense with her singing it.
Here's Macy Gray's version which was performed as part of a Salute to the Blues concert for a PBS documentary produced by Martin Scorsese. If anyone's interested, the performance was recorded and available on a 2 disc CD "Lightning In A Bottle. A Salute To The Blues"
Big Mama's version has more soul. It's slower, bluesier and in my opinion, better... Elvis was whiter, apparently, In the 50's, that trumped all.
[1] I think you nailed it with "in my opinion". Elvis was fresh and something unknown to white America at the time he busted away from Sam Phillips and those good people at Sun Records. His "That's all Right" and "I Got A Woman" blew buy anything a male white artist was doing at or around that time in terms of style and sound "in my opinion" and I have to say that includes my own guy Buddy Holly's stuff that came along a bit later. No doubt about it Elvis became king because of his skin color and the Colonel's mendacity: that doesn't mean what he did wasn't amazingly different, worthwhile and a producer of real and important art in it's own right. More than skin color is needed to explain Elvis's art; it may however explain his rise to recording industry "kingship".
Mendacity! The wife and I just watched "Cat on a Hot Tin Roof" last weekend.
What struck me was the difference in the lyrics. Does Big Mama's version really end the way I think it does? If so, then the song makes a lot more sense to me, after all these years.
Elvis' uptempo version was ideal for the era where a dance craze was emerging. He was groundbreaking.
Soulful Big Mama Thronton's voice juxtaposed the bluesy guitar riffs in a way that made the rendition come across as loftier. I agree with ColoYank. The song makes a whole lot sense coming from her and her lyrics.
4. Yes, it does make more sense with her singing it.
Here's Macy Gray's version which was performed as part of a Salute to the Blues concert for a PBS documentary produced by Martin Scorsese. If anyone's interested, the performance was recorded and available on a 2 disc CD "Lightning In A Bottle. A Salute To The Blues"
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ddfHFEGV3iA&feature=related
[3] Just can't get enough of the way Burl Ives makes a meal of that word!